Color Me Mad

Natural dyes have been used for centuries to color food, clothing and other items, but in recent history our world has become inundated with synthetic dyes. They’re so prevalent, that they’re found in most processed food and drinks, and even in shampoo and kid’s bubble bath. Why is this an issue? Like a lot of other crap that gets dumped into our food and personal care products without a second thought, these dyes have not been proven safe. In fact, a few are actually recognized carcinogens (cancer causing) by the FDA. They’re also known to evoke serious allergic reactions for some people and several studies have shown a strong link between behavioral problems in children and food dyes. Why am I mad? I’m angry that so many of the products on the shelf marketed for children contain these toxins. Not just junk food items like gummy bears and M&M’s, either. It’s in yogurt, fruit juice, “healthy” cereal bars, crackers, salad dressings… I could go on and on, because it’s so pervasive. The fact is, most kids encounter food dyes several times in any given day.

The other half of the story is that many of the same food manufacturers and restaurant chains who are adding Red No. 3 to your food, aren’t adding it overseas. That’s right, several countries and most of Europe have restricted certain food dyes, so their kids are eating the same breakfast cereal as your kids in the morning, just with natural coloring agents instead, which are made from real food like spices or fruits and veggies. So, if McDonalds can make a strawberry milkshake without red food dyes in the U.K. (they actually use *gasp* strawberries to color it there), why aren’t they doing that here? Countries like the U.K. have put pressure on food manufacturers after studies like this and this came out showing a pretty clear link between hyper activity in children and certain food dyes, and further links to cancer have been found. Red No. 3 is a recognized carcinogen, while Red N0. 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 have all shown to be contaminated with carcinogens. Several studies suggest Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, and Yellow 6 can cause cancer as well. Some brands are feeling the pressure here in the U.S. and have announced they will start phasing out food dyes in certain products, but there is still a steep road ahead if we hope to reduce it’s use in the overall food supply.

If this is all new to you and you’re freaking out, well.. you should be, frankly. This is unacceptable. In the behavioral studies mentioned above, the strongest effect was on the youngest children. No one wants their child to be exposed to something that could cause cancer or alter their behavior, but there are several steps you can take to try and limit their exposure. First, it almost goes without saying, but I’ll say it: Nix the processed food. Even innocent looking items like yogurt, crackers and processed fruit snacks can contain food dyes. Stick to whole foods or for items like yogurt, look for a natural/organic brand that doesn’t list any extra ingredients like food dyes. Be wary of any juice drinks, flavored milk drinks and especially sodas. If you must give your kids candy (potty rewards or say an Easter basket treat), try to purchase them from a health food store such as Earth Fare or Whole Foods, or there are some great options online from retailers like Amazon. We like these and these for special treats. I don’t keep a lot of sugary foods on hand for the kids, instead we may bake cookies or brownies from scratch once in a while or when we want a treat. For my kids’ birthdays we usually get a pull-a-part cupcake cake from Whole Foods. They only use natural dyes in the cake and frosting and they do an excellent job! Or you could always bake a cake from scratch. 

I do my best to try avoid food dyes for myself and my kids, but I’m not perfect. I try to remember to bring a lollipop from home when I know one will be offered (like after a haircut), but sometimes I forget and give in to letting them choose one from the basket. I try not to sweat it when we go to birthday parties and they have a giant piece of neon green cake (although I truly am cringing inside), but I know that we still need to live our lives and just do the best we can. That’s all any of us can do, isn’t it? xoxo